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Lot Essay
Pierre-Philippe Thomire, elected maître-fondeur in 1772.
Pierre-Philippe Thomire (d. 1843) studied sculpture at the Academy of Saint-Luc, where his talent was noted by Houdon. From 1774 he worked with Gouthière and subsequently with Prieur but he opened his own workshop in 1776. Inevitably the Revolution, during which he appears to have manufactured weapons, interrupted his oeuvre, but the Empire period brought renewed prosperity, partly because of his close association with Jacob-Desmalter, for whom Thomire supplied ormolu mounts, and partly as a result of the Emperor's patronage. The turnover of the firm under Napoléon reached the colossal sum of 500,000 francs per annum and did not suffer after the Restauration. Thomire relinquished control of his business to his sons-in-law in 1823 and the firm ceased to trade in 1852.
A pair of candelabra stamped Thomire with identical maiden and base was sold anonymously at Christie's New York, 1 November 1990, lot 56 ($ 82,500).
Pierre-Philippe Thomire (d. 1843) studied sculpture at the Academy of Saint-Luc, where his talent was noted by Houdon. From 1774 he worked with Gouthière and subsequently with Prieur but he opened his own workshop in 1776. Inevitably the Revolution, during which he appears to have manufactured weapons, interrupted his oeuvre, but the Empire period brought renewed prosperity, partly because of his close association with Jacob-Desmalter, for whom Thomire supplied ormolu mounts, and partly as a result of the Emperor's patronage. The turnover of the firm under Napoléon reached the colossal sum of 500,000 francs per annum and did not suffer after the Restauration. Thomire relinquished control of his business to his sons-in-law in 1823 and the firm ceased to trade in 1852.
A pair of candelabra stamped Thomire with identical maiden and base was sold anonymously at Christie's New York, 1 November 1990, lot 56 ($ 82,500).